Some scary moments in Wilmington, Delaware Tuesday morning after a power washer's scaffold wound up stuck on the side an office building.
"It brang a crowd...you don't see that everyday -- a man hanging from a building that was suspended with nothing underneath him, just hanging from a rope," said Grayling Bolston hours after his rescue.
The incident played out shortly before 9 a.m. on the side of the eight-story Bank of America Building at 1100 N King Street -- just off Rodney Square -- after Bolston's apparatus kept going down on one side causing the veteran washer's safety harness to pull him up as his co-worker hung onto the tilted apparatus.
The dangling Cassidy Painting worker had spent about 25 minutes hanging off the building as more than 100 onlookers watched firefighters make the high-angle rescue.
Luckily, the 59-year-old man's co-worker reengaged the scaffold and rescuers -- more than two dozen city firefighters and EMTs responded -- on the roof got Bolston to safety.
"Everything was rigged safely, everybody was tied up, everybody had their hard hats on, everything was done accordingly, we just had some failed equipment," said the workers' supervisor Derek Payne.
Bolston told NBC10 that he was OK and that it obviously wasn't his best day at work.
"He's fine... it ain't the first time it happened, it probably won't be the last," said Payne.
Bolston wanted to keep working but he was sent home to relax as crews investigated what caused the scaffolding to tip to one side.
Philadelphia Police Special Victims Unit investigators searched for a man with an apparent foot fetish who they say targeted a boy at a popular Philadelphia skate park.
The young skater told investigators that an unknown middle-aged man – with some acne or pockmarks on his face who wore a black T-shirt and Army-style green fatigue pants – approached him as he skated at Payne’s Park near the Schuylkill River Trail and Eakins Oval around 7 p.m. on May 10.
The man offered to buy the 11-year-old a soda if the boy allowed the man to photograph his feet, said police. The man then photographed the boy’s feet.
Before taking off, the man – who stands between 5-feet, 7-inches and 6-feet, 1-inch tall – told the boy to return next week with some of his friends, said investigators.
Investigators asked anyone with information on the incident to contact Philadelphia Police.
https://www.phillypolice.com/about/contact/index.html
The son of the CUNY dean who was killed in last week's deadly Amtrak derailment spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday, saying his father was "everything (he) wished to be," as CUNY announced that it is establishing a scholarship in his honor.
Derrick E. Griffith, the acting dean of student affairs and enrollment management Medgar Evers College, was among the eight people killed in the fatal crash in Philadelphia on May 12.
His son, Darryus Griffith, said his father raised him as a single parent and was always there for him. He said the last time he talked to his father was on Mother's Day, when Derrick Griffith wanted to make sure his son had spoken to his mother.
"He made me who I am today, and I love him," Darryus Griffith said of his father.
The family's attorney, Steven Schwartzapfel, said Derrick Griffith's body would be laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, but a funeral date has yet to be chosen for the 42-year-old.
In a statement Tuesday, Medgar Evers College administrators said they were "humbled" to announce the creation of the Dr. Derrick E. Griffith Memorial Scholarship Fund.
"Dr. Griffith's altruistic spirit will forever be in our midst as the scores of students he helped to uplift, encourage and support, realize their dreams and aspirations," the statement read. "This new fund will ensure that Medgar Evers College is able to continue supporting students who have overcome major obstacles as they look towards a brighter future."
College President Dr. Rudy Crew added: "It's not often that you meet someone as selfless as Derrick, and a fund that will help support students in their pursuit of education is the ultimate tribute to his life's work. Derrick would be so proud if he was with us, and I'm happy that we're able to honor him in this way."
Griffith was a beloved member of the Medgar Evers College community, and dozens paid tribute to the man online following the derailment.
He was scheduled to participate in his doctoral commencement ceremony on May 27, and was to be conferred his Ph.D. in urban education from CUNY, which has released his dissertation, "What's Black Got to Do With It? An Analysis of Low-Income Black Students and Educational Outcomes" online.
The family's attorney said it appeared that Amtrak was "negligent" in the derailment, though no lawsuit has been filed at this time, given the ongoing nature of the investigation.
"A lawsuit at the appropriate time will be filed," Schwartzapfel said.
Six other people with ties to New York and New Jersey have been confirmed among the dead.
They include Justin Zemser, a Naval cadet from Queens who was on his way home for break; Jim Gaines, an Associated Press staffer on his way back to New Jersey; Rachel Jacobs, a Philadelphia CEO who lived in Manhattan with her husband and children; Abid Gilani, a Wells Fargo executive; Laura Finamore, a managing director at Cushman & Wakefield; and Bob Gildersleeve, the Baltimore man originally from New Jersey whose son handed out fliers for in a desperate attempt to find him.
Comcast announced their plans to add new military hires to the team in hopes of employing 10,000 reservists, vets, their spouses and domestic partners in the coming years Thursday.
The company has already hired approximately 4,200 veterans since January 2012 as part of the “Hiring Our Heroes” initiative and hopes to bring in even more hires through 2017.
"The military teaches valuable life lessons about leadership, teamwork and commitment ― all skills which are highly transferable and we are excited to bring this new talent to Comcast NBC Universal,” President and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Cable Neal Smit said.
The parent company of NBC Universal also created a new position in the hiring department, the Vice President of Military and Veterans Initiative, aimed at engaging the military community.
While progress has been made in employing veterans in the past, the unemployment rate of 7.2 percent among post 9/11 vets still remains higher than that of other veterans and the country overall, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“I am delighted that we can support our military heroes and their families,” Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Comcast Cable William Strahan said. "We are so proud and grateful for their service and look forward to welcoming them to our team.”
The weather could be to blame for why a harbor seal has been seen swimming in the freshwater Rancocas Creek in South Jersey.
The seal has been spotted near Willingboro in Burlington County.
Bob Schoelkopf of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center tells the Philadelphia Inquirer it's not unusual for seals to follow herring in the spring and not realize how far upstream they have gone.
Schoelkopf speculates the lack of rain may have increased the salinity in the creek and the seal may return to Delaware Bay after a heavy rain.
The center is keeping an eye on the seal.
Police are searching for a missing man who may have been involved in a fatal crash on Interstate-295 over the weekend.
On Sunday at 8:46 p.m., a 2011 Ford F550 ran off of the roadway on I-295 in Mount Laurel, New Jersey into the center median and struck an overpass support post for State Highway 73. The vehicle then caught fire.
A man, who has not yet been identified, was found inside the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
The truck involved in the crash is registered to 58-year-old Joseph Tiedeman of Burlington, New Jersey. Tiedeman was last seen around 1 p.m. Sunday at a moving and storage company in Robbinsville, New Jersey. He was hired to perform mechanical work on company vehicles.
Tiedeman is described as a white male standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 240 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a red t-shirt labeled “Road Assist Professional,” black work pants, glasses and brown boots.
Investigators believe Tiedeman has connections to Pennsylvania or Delaware.
Police continue to investigate the crash. Anyone with information is asked to call the NJ State Police Bordentown Station at (609) 298-1171.
An arrest has been made in connection to the death of a woman whose body was found inside a Bensalem motel.
Joseph McFadden, 38, of Warminster, was arrested and charged with the murder of 32-year-old Kristin McNally of Morrisville.
On May 12 around 11:10 a.m., police were called to the Knights Inn on the 2700 block of Lincoln Highway in Bensalem to investigate a suspicious death. When they arrived they found McNally’s body inside a motel room. Her death was ruled a homicide.
On Monday McFadden was arrested for McNally’s murder. He was arraigned and transported to the Bucks County Correctional Facility.
A man stands accused of stabbing a woman in the back and neck during a fight inside an abandoned North Philadelphia home.
Philadelphia Police announced murder charges Tuesday against Raheam Felton of S 61st Street.
Felton, 31, stabbed London Chanel a 21-year-old transgender woman, around 12:40 a.m. Monday inside a row home along the 2200 block of Ingersoll Street.
"She had a heart of gold," Chanel's friend Kione Seymore said remembering her Monday evening. "She hardly ever frowned. She always had a smile on her face. Her laughter was infectious."
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said an argument between Chanel -- identified by police as London Banks -- and Felton sparked the deadly incident inside a middle bedroom on the third floor of the house.
The verbal tiff soon grew into a physical fight that ended with Chanel being stabbed twice in the back and once in the neck, according to Small.
The attacker and another person, who witnessed the stabbing, carried the woman downstairs and placed her on quilts outside the home. They were doing CPR on the victim when they saw a School District of Philadelphia officer nearby.
Small said they flagged the officer down for help who then called Philadelphia Police.
Officers rushed the victim to Hahnemann University Hospital where she was pronounced dead just after 1 a.m., police said.
Nellie Fitzpatrick, Director of LGBT Affairs for the city, confirmed Monday afternoon that Chanel was a member of the transgender community and said she was "devastated" by the loss.
"My heart goes out to her family, friends and the community as we mourn her death," she said.
A native of Victoria, Texas, about 2 hours northeast of Corpus Christi, Chanel came to Philadelphia several years ago and spent time living at Covenant House, a youth shelter and crisis center in Germantown, according to friends.
Veronica Allen, Chanel's mother, said her daughter's transition had taken a toll on their relationship, but that they reconnected in March and she was looking forward to her moving home.
“She was going to go to court to change her name and then she was going to come home," Allen said. “That’s what we were working towards, but that man took it away from me."
A Municipal Court judge arraigned Felton on murder and weapons charges Monday evening. Felton remained jailed after being denied bail.
Police in Delaware warned of a man who grabbed a woman jogging in a park across the road from the University of Delaware.
The man stood near a trail in Rittenhouse Park in Newark around 8 a.m. Tuesday, said Newark Police. As the jogger ran by, the man grabbed her and wouldn’t let go.
The woman eventually broke free and fled the park uninjured. When she got home she called police who responded to the park.
Despite a search that included a K-9 team, investigators couldn’t find the suspect, which they described as a man around 30 years old with dark hair and a dark bushy beard who wore a red and white plaid shirt and khakis and carried a blue bag at the time of the attack.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. James Skinner at 302-366-7100 ext. 3135 or by email.
Police are investigating an incident caught on video in which a man was kicked in the head at a Delaware pizza shop.
The incident took place at Grotto Pizza on Main Street in Newark, Delaware. The video, which was posted on YouTube on May 13, shows one of two men in a dark-colored shirt and khaki pants kicking another man in the head, knocking him unconscious. A crowd of people are also heard shouting in the background. After the man falls to the ground, the other man in khaki pants kneels down and places his hand on his chest, apparently checking on him.
An official with Grotto Pizza told Delaware Online the person who kicked the man was a doorman employed by the restaurant. The spokesperson told the publication that the company does not “condone the behavior shown in the video in any way.” The spokesperson also said they took action after they were alerted of the incident though he did not specify what that action was or whether the doorman was fired.
Newark Police confirmed with NBC10 they are investigating the incident. They have not yet revealed when the incident took place though they believe it’s related to a call they received around 11:50 p.m. on May 12 reporting a shirtless man who allegedly became disorderly after being thrown out of the pizza shop.
An officer told Delaware Online the customer was gone by the time police arrived.
No charges have been filed. Police continue to investigate.
If you have any information, please contact Cpl. Kenneth Odom at (302) 366-7111, ext. 3472, Kenneth.odom@cj.state.de.us.
Residents on a Main Line street were evacuated after a propane tank leaked.
The 500-gallon propane tank started leaking Tuesday afternoon at a home on the 300 block of Thornbrook Avenue in Bryn Mawr.
The entire block was evacuated and the street will remain closed for at least four hours, officials said. Crews are currently at the scene investigating the cause of the leak.
No injuries have been reported.
This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
Two people were killed and five people were hurt in five shootings in one night in Philadelphia Tuesday.
The first shooting occurred in West Philadelphia. A 36-year-old man and 28-year-old woman were on the 1500 block of North Redfield Street at 5:24 p.m. Tuesday when an unidentified gunman opened fire before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.
The man was struck once in the upper left back while the woman was struck once in the left buttocks.
Both victims were taken to Presbyterian Hospital. The man was pronounced dead at 6:42 p.m. The woman is in stable condition.
The second shooting occurred in Germantown at 5:48 p.m. A 20-year-old man was shot twice in the upper left arm on the unit block of E. Seymour Street. He was taken to Einstein Hospital where he is currently in critical condition.
The third shooting occurred at 7:32 p.m. on the 2200 block of N. 18th Street in North Philadelphia. A 31-year-old man was struck four times in the right leg and hip. He was taken to Temple University Hospital where he is currently in critical condition.
The fourth shooting occurred on the 2900 block of Frankford Avenue in Kensington at 8:25 p.m. A 22-year-old man was struck once in the back while a 21-year-old man was grazed in the head. The 22-year-old was taken to Temple University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:31 p.m. The 21-year-old was found at Cambria Street and was taken to Temple where he is currently stable.
The fifth shooting occurred on the 5400 block of Ridgewood Street in West Philly shortly before 10 p.m. At least one person was shot and taken to Presbyterian Hospital. Police have not yet revealed his or her condition.
No arrests have been made in any of the shootings. Police continue to investigate.
A five-man fishing crew nearly set a record last weekend by reeling in a whopping 820-pound shark off the coast of New Jersey.
The Missfit, captained by Rob Kurian, caught the near half-ton mako shark in Wilmington Canyon of the Atlantic Ocean -- about 75 miles off the coast of Cape May. Philadelphia native Gary Blakla reeled in the shark after fighting for near an hour. Fred Dirsh Sr., Fred Dirsh Jr. and Paul Tsoukalas were also on the boat and aided the catch, according to shorenewstoday.com.
The shark was weighed in at South Jersey Marina, who posted the above photo to their Facebook page.
The mako fell short of the New Jersey state record of 856 pounds, but undoubtedly toppled the 2014 South Jersey Shark Tournament-winning catch by more than double. That tournament paid out more than $320,000.
Kurian told Shore News Today that is was "by far" the largest catch of his life, and that "[catching] a shark like that was a blessing, especially our first time out."
Friends and family are mourning an 11-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a vehicle in Lehigh County Monday.
Abigail Zukowski was walking home from school with her friend on 6th and Chestnut streets in Emmaus shortly after 4 p.m. when they were struck by a vehicle passing by. Christina Hackert told NBC10 she was driving when she spotted the two girls lying on the street.
"Once I saw what it was I just left my car running and ran right over there," Hackert said. "Abigail was worse and I just went right over to her and checked her pulse and rubbed her back and she gasped for air a few times and I just stayed with her."
Hackert told NBC10 the driver of the striking vehicle remained at the scene and medics arrived in minutes.
"I held the oxygen mask on her until we got her in the ambulance and then I took over the chest compressions while they were working on other parts of her," Hackert said.
Abigail was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest where she died from multiple blunt force injuries. Her friend is currently in critical condition.
"It's tragic and it should've never happened," Hackert said.
A memorial was set up at the scene of the crash. Residents say speeding has often been an issue at the busy intersection.
"A lot of people tend to speed through here," said Angie Groller. "I live right down the street and I've already seen people go through red lights a lot."
NBC10 also spotted a vehicle run through a red light at the intersection on Tuesday. Parents believe something needs to be done to protect pedestrians who walk in the area.
"Maybe putting some crossing guards in the area," said Jackie Bonstingl. "Things like that maybe could've prevented this from happening."
Abigail attended Jefferson Elementary School in Emmaus. Both police and counselors were at the school on Tuesday.
The girl also played in the UMYA soccer league for four seasons. The league organized a vigil for Abigail which started at 6 p.m. at Jasper Park in Emmaus.
The accident remains under investigation. No charges have been filed.
A traffic stop led to a heroin bust in Delaware.
On Monday a Delaware State Trooper on patrol on Concord Road and Haven Drive in Seaford spotted a silver Cadillac fail to signal after coming to a stop on Haven. The trooper stopped the car and spoke with the driver, identified as 20-year-old Hunter Waller of Laurel. Sharmayne Teagle, 22, and Jermar Thompson, 26, both from Seaford, were passengers inside, according to investigators.
The trooper soon learned Waller only had a learner's permit and none of the passengers had a valid license, according to police.
All three suspects were told to leave the vehicle while troopers searched it. They eventually found a black sock inside the center console of the car containing 308 bags of heroin weighing 4.62 grams, police said. The troopers also seized over $400 in suspected drug proceeds.
The three suspects were arrested and taken into custody. The suspects are charged with possession with intent to deliver heroin, conspiracy, possession of drug paraphernalia and other related offenses.
